Maxim Gorky was a Russian and Soviet writer, a founder of the socialist realism literary method, and a political activist. His works, including "The Lower Depths" and "Mother," provided profound insight into the struggles of the lower classes.
The Turkish government officially decrees that the historic city of Constantinople shall henceforth be known as Istanbul.
Nationalist forces led by General Francisco Franco enter Madrid, leading to the surrender of Republican forces and the end of the Spanish Civil War.
A partial nuclear meltdown occurs at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station in Pennsylvania, becoming the worst commercial nuclear disaster in U.S. history.